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10 Things You Should Talk to Your Twins About Middle School

The success of teen twins in middle school is dependent on the parental support that they receive. However, as they get more independent, it becomes more challenging to intervene for most parents. A lot of anxiety is due to their emotional immaturity while the hormonal changes present a major challenge that calls for guidance.

If we approach this matter from the perspective of the teen, we get more insights. This requires the parent to also broaden their view of their twin’s environment at school to better understand them. The advantage of having twins in middle school is the care and companionship of siblings which make the adjustments more manageable. In addition, supportive parents will help them handle the emotions, pressures, rapid changes, and social shake-ups in this phase easily.

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1. Parents should help them acquire organization and proper routine habits.

Parents need to talk to their kids about the importance of being organized as they prepare to join middle school. They’ll have to change classrooms and keep track of their belongings. They will undergo multiple changes that call for organizational skills. It is therefore beneficial for your twins to be oriented on the importance of being organized, as two heads mean more clutter than one.

This starts at home when parents help their twins maintain a well-balanced sleep. This renders them capable of waking up at the right hour and getting to school at the expected time. Their routine will constitute activities such as packing their school bag and preparing their clothes the night before they go to school. This will prevent the unnecessary pressure that results from lack of organized plans and routines.

2. Emphasize the importance of managing academic and personal responsibilities.

Parents will have to take the initiative to help their twins understand that homework is their own responsibility. Sit back and let your teenagers take care of their work with little to no intervention. You should also have to hold them accountable for their mistakes.

3. Participation in extracurricular activities.

We should encourage their kids to engage in extracurricular activities in school as this will expose them to other kids from different schools and thus aid them in building social skills. It is also necessary for us to encourage our teens to stand up for themselves in any situation. Encourage twins to help each other through difficult times. With a twin sister or brother by their side, they are stronger and may cope better. If you find out that your twins have problems making friends, it’s important to consult with counselors and teachers. This will help you find the best solution to the problem.

4. Proper use of technology.

Rapid advances in technology have changed the way education is delivered even at the middle school level. It’s therefore important for parents to help their twins manage technology and make the best use of it in their academic pursuits. This will go a long way in teaching them how they can use technology for their own benefit. This will also avoid them from being caught up in problems that result from the wrong use of gadgets.

5. Parents should develop their twins’ ability to handle money.

Before they start middle school, it’s very important for us parents to orient them on the importance of handling and managing their finances in an independent fashion. This habit will grow stronger with time thus helping them to be self-reliant. It’s never too early to develop such important skills and habits. They can list down their expenses and learn to budget their funds. This is a simple yet effective means of money management.

6. They need to be taught how to get by, by themselves.

It’s more than a mere responsibility – the ability to think and act on their own is an important skill that every kid should learn from their parents at a young age. Twins should learn that they can be independent of each other. This ability will guide them through middle school and beyond.

7. Parents need to teach their twins to have a sense of humor.

There is a need for most teens to feel reassured that things will get better with time. This comes from the many pressures they are subjected to as students and teenagers; due to the hormonal changes, social-shakeups, and the fear of the unknown. Parents need to create awareness in their twins that the horrors and awkward moments they face will be tomorrow’s funny moments. They should, therefore, avoid taking matters so serious by maintaining a healthy and funny demeanor.

8. They should avoid chasing popularity.

It’s a very vicious cycle when teens try to be popular at the middle school level. This is because it leads to a very superficial lifestyle that often leads to problems. We should help our teens understand that growth is a learning process that cannot be attained instantly. This will help them avoid the temptation of seeking popularity by any means or running around with the “in” crowd for the sake of popularity.

9. Having good friends make life easier.

Keeping in mind the point about seeking popularity for the sake of it, we parents have to help our twins understand that this is the stage when they should be very careful with the company and relationships they entertain in their middle school phase. They should understand that not everyone deserves a place in their inner circle and that the idea of “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” is a very significant ideal to abide by. Bad influences have a tendency to rub off those who associate with it. It’s therefore important for teenagers to be enlightened on this matter.

Part of this is also teaching your twins about the dangers around them such as drugs and alcohol. Most teens are exposed to this through their peers. Proper guidance on the part of the parent will help avoid drug abuse that may lead to rehab or drug and alcohol treatment.

10. Parents should help their twins improve on their study skills.

This is the best time for them to hone their skills by building healthy study habits that will lead to success. This can start with a self-assessment test to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the teen. They can then build on their strength as they minimize their weaknesses with aim of strengthening their academic performance.

Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them. Follow Patrick on Twitter or check out his website.